IPL 2025 is set for a grand opening where the three-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the defending champions, will host the three-time IPL runners-up Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday (22nd March) evening.
Before the IPL 2025 opener, we are going through key head-to-head matchups of some significant names between the two teams.
Virat Kohli is facing challenges against Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy
Sunil Narine is the only spinner to dismiss Virat Kohli four times in T20 cricket. While Kohli has only a 103.2 T20 batting strike rate against Narine, the Caribbean spinner has delivered 35% dot balls.
While Varun Chakravarthy has dismissed Kohli only once in T20 cricket, Kohli’s T20 strike rate against the Indian spinner is 102.6, as the right-handed batter has hit him two fours and one six with a record of more than 30% dot balls.
Can Varun Chakravarthy continue his dominance over Liam Livingstone?
Varun Chakravarthy has already dismissed Liam Livingstone thrice in their seven T20 meetings. The English cricketer has only hit one four against the Indian spinner, while Chakravarthy maintains an incredible bowling strike rate against this opposition batter (7.70).
Bhuvneshwar Kumar likes Ajinkya Rahane and Quinton de Kock
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has dismissed Ajinkya Rahane seven times in T20 cricket, the most successful bowler against Rahane in this format. Kumar has delivered more than 57% of dot balls to Rahane in T20 cricket, and Rahane’s batting strike rate against Kumar is 88.90 (Kumar’s bowling strike rate vs Rahane is 16.70).
Although Bhuvneshwar Kumar has dismissed Quinton de Kock two times in T20 cricket, the South African has never dominated the Indian pacer. Kumar has maintained almost 50% dot balls, while De Kock’s strike rate against Kumar is 95.70 (Kumar's bowling strike rate vs De Kock is 35.00). Among the pacers against whom De Kock has faced at least 50 balls, Kumar is the only name with less than a 100 batting strike rate for the South African.
Can Andre Russell again destroy Bhuvneshwar Kumar?
In T20 cricket, Andre Russell has dominated Bhuvneshwar Kumar in his own style. Although Kumar has dismissed Russell twice in T20 cricket, the right-handed batter has scored 106 runs in just 43 balls against the pacer with a strike rate of 246.50, including nine fours and nine sixes. While the dot balls percentage is less than 30, Russell has the highest T20 batting strike rate against a bowler when he has faced at least 40 balls.